Space-Saving Magic: "Hide" Your Dining Table On The Wall!

Before they bought their current home in Washington D.C.'s Mount Plesant neighborhood, Josh and Lauren lived for six years in a studio apartment. Determined to host dinner parties in their tiny space, the couple came up with an inspired idea that allowed them to have a instant dining room--but only when they needed one. They bought a dining table light enough and compact enough to be hung on the wall when not in use.

The Workscape Folding Table from Design Within Reach (on sale for $501.50 right now) was the table that fit the bill. The aluminum is relatively lightweight and it folds flat to 3" thick. When the legs are folded into the underside they don't stick out, which makes it easier to hang the table flush against the wall, hanging on the big rubber coated hooks often used to hang bikes.

Josh and Lauren liked the concept so much they carried it over to their new, much larger, home, which is photographed above and below.

On the average day, the family eats at the kitchen counter or at the folding table, which is outside during the nicer months and inside when it's cold outside. But whenever the family entertain, the table is pulled down and dinner is served.

And what is especially cool about this arrangement is that the table actually looks really good hanging on the wall. It could easily be mistaken for minimalist modern art.